What is life coaching?
Let’s be honest, life can be pretty overwhelming! You have so many aspirations and desires, right? There are things you want to achieve and more importantly, you have goals around who you want to be.
But how do you get to that place or reach those goals? Well, that’s where coaches and mentors come in handy.
So what is life coaching? Life coaching is a collaborative process between a coach and a client, designed to help you identify and achieve your personal and professional goals.
It focuses on unlocking your potential, fostering self-awareness, and empowering you to create meaningful and lasting changes in your life.
Why life coaching?
Life coaching has become much more popular in the last decade precisely because life has gotten so complex and people now realise that it’s something they can get help with.
Whether you want help with reaching your career goals, relationship goals or other life challenges, chances are there’s a coach or mentor out there for you.
I think part of the rise in coaching also comes from the growing awareness of mental health issues and how they can seriously mess with the quality of our lives.
The beauty of this method is that it’s incredibly versatile and quite accessible. You can easily find an online life coach for example for that added level of flexibility.
As a relationship and life coach in Melbourne, I see a lot of women getting drawn to coaching as part of their personal development journey.
How life coaching works
A life coach will typically help you identify and clarify your goals first.
They’ll help you understand what might be holding you back, looking at what you’ve tried already and what’s worked/ not worked. Finally, you develop a strategy or plan together for reaching your goal.
Life coaching is very action and future-focused, which is something I really appreciate about it. You are empowered to uncover the solution yourself but equally, you’re supported and held accountable throughout the journey.
I myself am a relationship and life coach for women and I absolutely love empowering women to discover how to reach their goals in a way that is fully aligned with their values and desires.
A lot of people find that working with a coach gives them much greater clarity and direction. Ultimately it helps them lead a more intentional and fulfilling life.
You can find life coaching services online or in your local area. Many coaches will offer their services online these days - so convenient!
Life coaching vs. therapy: Let's settle the debate
A really common question I get is, what the heck is the difference between coaching and traditional therapy?
Let me try to settle this with a short description of each. I could write a whole blog on this in the future if you’re interested.
Therapy
Therapy is a healthcare profession set up to provide long-term support and healing. A therapist generally looks to the past to understand where certain beliefs originated. They use that understanding to form a treatment plan.
Traditionally, therapy is provided in person, although the last few years have certainly seen an uptake in services being offered online.
Life coaching
A life coach for women or any gender, focuses on supporting you to reach your goals. The coach will ask questions to uncover limiting beliefs and help you release them.
You can think of them as a sort of personal development coach, like a sports coach for your personal growth.
Coaching is an empowering approach to overcoming obstacles by clearing what's getting in the way of you reaching your goals. It helps people grow into their best selves, by providing the guidance and support they need to reach their highest potential.
You can typically find life coaching services online.
Relationship coaching
So how does relationship coaching fit into this? Every coach is going to have their own style and approach and this is particularly noticeable with coaching for relationships.
The way that I personally provide relationship coaching is by focusing on setting up a strong foundation upon which to build. A loving, healthy relationship with yourself is the key to that.
Whether you want to boost a current romantic relationship or set up future relationships for success, I strongly believe you're going to need a stable, reliable foundation to build upon.
You’ll notice that I target the individual rather than the couple in my work. You also don’t have to be in a relationship crisis to want to improve your relationship with yourself or your partner through coaching.
I believe those are the key elements that set my relationship coaching apart from relationship counselling or therapy.
If you’re interested in improving your romantic relationship, check out my blog post: 5 ways to make your relationship even better.
EFT Tapping
While we’re here, let me quickly clarify how the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), or Tapping, fits into all of this.
Tapping, I find, provides a bridge between coaching and therapy. It’s a mind-body technique that involves stimulating acupuncture meridians by tapping on them.
EFT Tapping is highly effective at reducing the intensity of emotions or experiences. It's a great tool to release and re-pattern the thoughts/beliefs/ experiences that have been holding you back.
When combined with relationship or life coaching, you get the best of both worlds.
Coaching helps provide context that we can use in the tapping sessions and is a great method for coming up with an action plan and next steps after you’ve re-pattern beliefs with tapping.
The overlaps in coaching & therapy
Both coaching and therapy use psychological techniques such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify patterns that aren’t serving them and replace those patterns with more positive, helpful ones.
Coaching and therapy also both draw on techniques from positive psychology, such as goal-setting and positive affirmations. These help clients build a more positive outlook on life and get intentional about how they want to live their life.
Some life coaches will also use methods from neuroscience, such as neurolinguistic programming (NLP) or EFT tapping, to help clients understand and change their thought patterns and behaviour.
In short, life coaching has helped so many people achieve their goals and live more fulfilling lives.
*I would like to acknowledge the nuance of therapy and coaching that isn't covered in this brief description. There’s obviously so much more I can say, but I hope this gives you enough of an understanding for now.
The science behind coaching
Let's take a moment to appreciate the wonders of our brains! In recent years, neuroscience research has unravelled even more mysteries about how our brains work.
It’s clear now that thanks to neuroplasticity, our brains actually adapt and continually reshape and rewire themselves in response to new experiences and learnings.
Talking to a coach and working on your relationship with yourself will support the building of new neural connections. It allows you to develop creative new ways of thinking and problem-solving.
In other words, having a life coach is like having a personal trainer for your brain, guiding you towards a mentally fitter, happier, and more successful you.
Now, who wouldn't want that?
By understanding the science behind coaching, we can truly grasp how it helps us tap into our brain's potential and become the best version of ourselves – the ultimate #BossLady!
Coaching for a Flourishing Romantic Relationship
By now you hopefully understand what all the hype about life coaching is for. But how does it help you forge an even better romantic relationship?
Whether you want to boost a current romantic relationship or set up future relationships for success, you're going to need a strong foundation to build upon.
Through relationship/ life coaching and EFT tapping, I support you in forging a solid foundation of love, trust and connection first and foremost with yourself.
Believe me when I say that that’s going to make all the difference when it comes to having healthy loving relationships with others!
What I believe as a relationship & life coach in Melbourne
- I believe you can absolutely have a successful career and a successful loving relationship at the same time.
- Your relationship doesn’t have to look any one way - not like your parents’ or a Hollywood rom-com (unless of course, that’s what you want).
- As we evolve, our relationships need to be able to evolve alongside us.
- Build a strong relationship with yourself first and use that as the foundation for a romantic relationship that is super intentional and works for you.
Are life coaches worth it?
The Benefits of Life Coaching
Embarking on a relationship or life coaching journey is like discovering a treasure map that leads you to the hidden gems within yourself. Sounds corny, but bear with me!
As you delve into this exciting adventure, you'll start to unlock a wealth of long-term benefits. The main benefits of both relationship and life coaching that you can expect are:
- Clarity
- Control
- Confidence
- Courage
Clarity
Think of clarity as having your very own mental GPS. Coaching helps you gain a clear understanding of your goals, dreams, and values.
You no longer need to feel lost in the wilderness of endless to-do lists and existential crises. Instead, you'll be channelling your inner Lora Croft, navigating your way through life's adventures with ease and purpose.
Control
A life coach will help you take control and intentionally steer your life in the direction you desire. Whenever you start to veer off course, your coach will be there to keep you on track and focused.
The empowering nature of coaching also means that you’re always in control of the journey. You can trust that it’s about getting you where you want to be in a fun yet effective and safe way.
Confidence
Most people want to feel more confident, either in their life overall or in specific contexts like dating and relationships.
Prioritising your personal development and growth by working with a life coach, for example, is a great way to build confidence.
They can help you get crystal clear on your values, beliefs and what your best self looks like. Through coaching, you will cultivate a strong belief in your abilities and be able to channel your best self much easier.
Think - strutting into every room with the poise and self-assurance of Beyoncé.
In other words, you'll be living your best life, unapologetically and lovingly.
Courage
Last but not least, coaching can give a major courage boost. If you’re willing to put your fierce independence aside and ask for support, you won’t have to keep tackling everything on your own.
Instead, you’ll have the compassionate support of a coach cheering you on while also holding you accountable to your goals.
Having that reliable support gives you the strength you need to face your fears, tackle challenges head-on, and step outside of your comfort zone.
No more playing it safe – channel Lara Croft, or your favourite badass character, and approach life's adventures with courage and determination.
With a perfect blend of clarity, control, confidence, and courage, coaching will have you living the kind of life that’s always felt out of reach.
So, gear up and get ready to embark on a thrilling expedition of personal growth and discovery!
Ready to level up your life?
If you’re ready to channel your inner Lara Croft and take control of your life, then I have to say, working with a life coach is a fantastic place to start.
It’ll be an incredibly rewarding adventure!
I won’t hide the fact, though, that coaching can also be highly confronting as you uncover new depths of yourself, are challenged in your beliefs and begin embracing your best self.
Going at it alone is so much harder though, whereas a life coach can be such a helpful guide through the uncharted territories of personal growth and self-discovery.
So go ahead and start forging the life you've always wanted – your best life awaits!
Share your experience with coaching
Have you tried coaching before - be that in a personal or professional context? I would love for you to share your own experiences and insights.
After all, everyone’s journey truly is unique, and your story might just be the inspiration someone else needs to embark on their own path to self-discovery.
